Vermilion Wing
by Easy Peasy Lemon Breezy
Summary: Nelly Zera joined the Fairy Tail guild to fulfill her dream of becoming a great wizard. But little did she know, she'd go through love and heartbreak, make many lifelong friends, and learn more about not only her new home, but her own past as well. (Will contain some Mature scenes eventually. Prologue chapters will be in 1st person. I hope you all enjoy!)
1. Prologue 1: Welcome to Fairy Tail!

Everyone in the guild was in high spirits, drinking and brawling. And of course, Natsu and Grey were fighting as usual. That was until the guild master stepped in. "Everyone pay attention!"

Almost immediately, the entire guild was quiet, save for Natsu and Grey, who continued fighting. "Ha! Take that, frost breath!"

"Stupid furnace face!"

Makarov ignored them and continued. "I thought I should tell you all. In roughly an hour's time, Fairy Tail will have a new member."

That got Natsu's attention. "A new member?!" That gave Grey the chance to punch him in the face and Natsu went flying across the guild hall and crashed into a nearby table.

"Yes, that's right. A young but powerful wizard that goes by Nelly Zera."

Natsu stood up from the floor and cracked his knuckles. "This guy sounds like a strong wizard."

"Nelly is formerly a member of the Lion Heart Guild. And there's something else you should know-"

"I'M GONNA FIND THIS NELLY AND FIGHT HER! C'MON HAPPY!"

"AYE, SIR!" And with that, Natsu and Happy sprinted out the door.

"Hold on, you too!" Makarov sighed. "He'll figure it out. Grey and Lucy. You two should go make sure Natsu doesn't roast our new member."

"Sure thing!"

"I can't wait!"

 _ **ooOoo**_

I had no luck with the map I had of the city. I've been walking around town for hours. The town of Magnolia was a lot bigger than I thought. I groaned. "Why am I always getting lost..."

That was when someone ran into me. I hit the ground with a thud. "Oww!"

The person stopped chuckled, helping me up. "Sorry about that. I'm in a really big hurry."

"No, it's fine. I was the one who was lost."

The pink haired guy blinked. "You're lost? Where are you trying to go?"

"I'm looking for a magic guild in the area. It's called Fairy Tail."

The guy froze then grinned. "So are you the Nelly we heard was joining today?"

"That's me. What's up?"

Without warning, he got into my face. "Let's fight! Just you and me!"

I backed up and gave him a weird look. "Why do you want to fight?"

Without warning, a flaming fist hit my stomach. I went flying into a nearby wall. I stood up. "Hey! I wasn't ready! And I don't even want to fight!"

The guy wasn't listening. He ran at me, fists ablaze. I quickly braced myself when he punched me again. I groaned when I stood up. The guy seemed to suddenly lose interest when he realized I wasn't going to fight back.

"I'm already bored. Can we not fight anymore?"

I got a little ticked. "You're the one who attacked me out of the blue!"

"Yeah, but you're so weak!"

I punched him in the face, chip visible. "Shut up!"

That was when the guy noticed that my shoes disappeared. "Hey. Where did your shoes go?"

I blank-faced. "I took them off..."

"Why?"

"I just don't like wearing shoes, okay!?"

"Yeesh, sensitive topic." Then he held out his hand. "My name is-"

"NATSU!"

I spotted two people running towards us. One was a blonde girl and the other was a dark haired guy wearing little to no clothes. I turned to Natsu. "They seem to know you. Are you guys friends?"

He nodded. "That's Gray, Lucy, and Happy."

"Happy?" I looked around and spotted a blue, flying cat. He waved. "Hi!"

Natsu rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry for attacking you back there..."

 ** _Oh, NOW the pyro feels guilty for beating me up!?_**

I shrugged. "It's fine. It's the first time I've been challenged outright like that."

The four friends looked at me, surprised. "Really?"

I laughed a little. "Yeah... Why do you look so surprised?"

"Gramps said you were a young but powerful wizard! Why aren't you always being challenged all the time?!"

I blinked. "Me? Powerful?"

Grey stepped forward. "Makarov said you were powerful."

Lucy nodded in agreement before glaring at Natsu. "He also said give her a warming welcome, Natsu."

Natsu held up a flaming fist. "And that's just what I did!"

I laughed. "That's true."

Eventually, my new friends and I made it to the guild hall. When we walked inside, there was already a huge brawl taking place. I stood there with Lucy, stunned. We were both shocked while Natsu, Happy, and Grey walked right in as though nothing was happening. (Well, Happy flew in, obviously.) Or at least, until a chair hit Natsu right in the face.

He got mad very quickly. "Hey! Who threw that?!" Fists aflame, Natsu jumped right into the fight and Grey soon followed. Shocked, Lucy and I watched the brawl continue. Eventually, I spotted Master Makarov turn into a giant and stop the fight quickly. "YOU ARE ALL ACTING LIKE CHILDREN!"

My mouth had already hit the floor with amazement. After everyone calmed down, Makarov changed back to his normal size and cleared his throat.

"Everyone," he pointed to me, "Please welcome our newest member, Nelly Zera."

I started blushing like a tomato when most of the guild started clapping. I was amazed at how enthusiastic these people are about getting a new member. Even if it is just me... I can't control my magic all that well... Maybe that's why Fairy Tail is so popular. I smiled. **_I_** **_think I'm going to love it here._**

 ** _To Be Continued..._**


	2. Prologue 2: The First Job!

It's been about a couple of hours since I've been welcomed into the guild. I've been sitting at one of the tables with Lucy trying to figure out where I was going to stay. Lucy pointed at one of the apartments on the application. "How about this one? It's 98 thousand jewel a month. That's not bad."

I looked at it and bit my lip. "I don't know... The managers kinda look like creeps... And it's too far out of town."

Lucy looked again. "I guess that's true..." She flipped the page. "Oh! How about this?" She pointed to a cute apartment building with a nice looking manager standing on the front steps. "It's just on the other side of town. 125 thousand a month..."

I smiled. "That sounds fair. And that comes with a free monthly cleaning."

Lucy handed me the application. "Is that the one?"

I grinned. "Oh, yeah! Definitely!"

She stood up. "Great. Then let's go!"

I stood up with her and she gave me a confused look. "Do you not wear shoes?"

"I do... I just don't like to wear them. I prefer going barefoot..." My right foot also happened to be where I have my new Fairy Tail emblem. It was the color of a sunset and I loved it because it looked awesome.

 ** _ooOoo_**

A while later, Lucy and I found the address of the apartment building, Gregory's Luxury Apartments, and knocked at the front door. A very frail looking man with very curly sky-blue hair and glasses opened the door. "Hello there... Are you the young lady looking to rent one of my lodgings?"

I waved. "That's me! I'm Nelly Zera." Gregory and I shook hands. He seemed to perk up a bit. "Welcome, welcome!"

He handed me a clipboard. "How long do you plan to stay with us, Miss Nelly Zera?"

"Uh... For now, forever I guess.." I sweat dropped. "I'm sorry... This is my first time doing something like this by myself.."

Gregory kept smiling. "That's quite alright. It's no big deal at all. Just sign here and here."

I did so and handed back the clipboard. Lucy stepped forward. "So... Where is her apartment going to be?"

Gregory laughed lightheartedly. "You'll get your room key when you give me your first payment. After that, rent is due on the last Friday of every month."

Lucy and I gawked. "I have to pay right now?!"

Gregory nodded. "Is there a problem?"

I rubbed the back of my head. "I don't have that much on me right now..."

"That's alright. But you're not getting the room key until you pay up."

I shivered. There was something suddenly sinister about Gregory and it creeped me the heck out. But he was still smiling! Lucy and I inched away. "Of course... R-Right away sir..."

Then we both took off. When we reached the guild, Lucy grabbed me by the shoulders. "You need to take a job from the request board!"

Merajane stepped forward. "That's a good idea. But you shouldn't go alone, Nelly. You said it yourself that you don't have complete control of your magic."

Lucy blinked. "Oh yeah, I forgot to ask you."

I looked at Lucy. "Yeah?"

"What kind of magic do you use?"

I gave a small blush. "It's nothing special..."

Lucy grinned. "You've got to show me a few spells while we're out on a job!"

I gave her a confused look. "We?"

"Yeah! I'm going to go with you since Merajane said you shouldn't go alone."

I smiled. "Okay. Sounds like fun!"

"We'll have to pick a job first!"

I nearly jumped out of my skin when Natsu and Happy popped up behind me. Lucy got a chip. "You two need to butt out!"

Natsu gave us both a confused look. "Why? Aren't we going on a job together?"

"No way! You two are bad news for Nelly! She needs to get enough money to rent out an apartment!"

Embarrassed, I rubbed the back of my head. "She's got a point... Splitting the money four ways won't pay my new rent... Sorry..."

Natsu was silent for a second, then he grinned. "Alright. But next time we're going with you! Kay?"

I giggled. "Sure thing!"

We all walked over to the job request board and looked at all of the jobs. I spotted one that caught my interest. I took it off the board and showed it to Lucy. "How about this one?"

Lucy took it and read it allowed. "Lost pet: 300 thousand jewel for anyone who can bring my Coki home." She handed it back. "That's a lot of jewel for just finding a pet. Good find!"

I smiled. "And I'm really good with animals! Let's do it!"

 ** _ooOoo_**

Natsu and Happy waved the girls goodbye as they were walking off towards the train station. And as soon as they were on board... "Hey Natsu. We're still going to follow them, right?"

Natsu laughed. "Of course! We can't let Lucy have ALL the fun!" And with one jump, Natsu landed on top of the moving train, Happy following with his Aera Magic. And Natsu was immediately feeling sick and flopped onto his stomach. "I think I'm gonna hurl..."

Happy sighed. "This is going to be a long ride..."

 ** _To Be Continued..._**


	3. Prologue 3: Train Hijacked!

It's been about an hour since the train started moving. I looked at the flyer again. "So we're going to a village called Morgantine?"

"Right. It's about another two hours from here. So, what does the pet look like?"

I looked at the drawing and sweatdropped. "I can't tell what it is..."

"Let me have a look."

I gave the drawing to her and she had the same reaction. "Who drew this again?"

"The owner did..."

The drawing was basically a brown and white blob with eyes and two tails. I had absolutely no idea what that creature was. **_Not to be mean.. but whoever drew this needs some art lessons._** I put it away. "I think it would be best if we just remember that whatever Coki is, it has two tails."

"Agreed."

That was when the train suddenly came to a dead stop. Some plates fell off of the tables of the train and everyone became very confused. There was also some shouts coming from the car in front of ours. People started to panic. I stood up. "I'll go check it out."

Lucy stood up too. "I'll go with you."

Together, the two of us walked to the door of the train car where the shouts came from. I took a deep breath and opened the door. The first thing I saw was Natsu and Happy tied up in the floor.

I gasped and ran over. "Are you guys okay?! What happened?!"

"And why are you following us?!"

Natsu looked like he was going to vomit. "These weird guys attacked on while we were on the roof..."

I untied Happy. "What did they want?"

"They said something about taking over the train because someone important was on board!"

Lucy was still working on untying Natsu. "Did they say who?"

"I didn't hear them... I think they said something like corgi..."

I looked at Lucy. "Is Coki on the train?"

"It's possible... I'll go take a look. You three stay here." Lucy then left the train car. I sat in the floor next to Natsu. "So, why are you so sick?"

Happy raised a paw. "Natsu and transportation don't mix well."

I sweatdropped. "Even if the vehicle's not moving?"

He then stopped dead and appeared to be in serious thought. He then cried out with a sudden burst of energy. "Wait, we're not moving?! Oh yeah!" He sat up and thrust his fist into the air.

I sweatdropped. "Do you always think about fighting?"

"Do you ever wear shoes?" He retorted back.

I got a chip. "Hey! I can point out your flaws too!"

Natsu yawned. "So, why is it that you hate shoes?"

"Hm... I guess I just like the feeling of the world under my feet. All I feel when I wear shoes is scratchy and itchy socks."

"... Then why don't you wear sandals?"

"I just told you why!"

"Sandals aren't shoes!"

"Yes they are!"

"They are not!"

The argument continued for another minute or two between me and Natsu. A shout brought us back to our senses. Natsu stood up. "That was Lucy."

I gave him a surprised look. "That was?"

Within a moment's notice, Natsu burst throught the door of the next car. "Where is she, you freaks?!"

I carried Happy and walked in behind him. "I'd do what he says. He's crazy."

Natsu did not look happy at all. I punched on of the guys in the face with his flaming fist and he was knocked out cold. "Where is Lucy?!"

The other two guys were horrified while the third one smirked. "A fire wizard eh? Dealing with brats like you is my specialty."

Natsu's eyes narrowed. "I'd like to see you try." He took a deep breath. "FIRE DRAGON ROAR!" A huge blast of fire came from Natsu's mouth aimed for the leader. He stopped Natsu's fist and sent him him flying with a fire attack of his own. Happy flew after him. "Natsu!"

I ran after him as well. "Are you okay?"

Natsu instantly sprang up. "You punk! I'll show you fire mag-" His face then turned white as the train started moving again. He collapsed into the floor, completely sick. I sweatdropped. "You're kinda sad."

The leader looked at Natsu. "Well, well, well. What do we have here? Salamander of Fairy Tail. How pathetic."

I glared at him. "Watch it. I'm still here, you know. If you want him, you'll have to go through me first."

Happy landed on my shoulder. "Me too!"

The guy chuckled. "How cute. The little cat too... Well, I'll let you easy with a fiery beat down."

My confidence faltered as he prepared to attack. Before he could even mutter a spell, the train car roof fell in. Happy managed to pull me out of the way just in time. The leader flew across the car and landed right into the seat next to Natsu, winded. What I saw next shocked me. A woman with sparkling, long scarlet hair and armor on, emerges from the roof. Her brown eyes were filed with an unearthly rage. "Where can I find Natsu Dragneel."

 ** _To Be Continued..._**


	4. Prologue 4: Newt!

I watched, amazed as the woman grabbed Natsu and threw him over her shoulder. She then turned to me, looking very irritated. "Find Lucy and finish this mission." She then gated at Happy, who was paralyzed with fear. "These two shouldn't bother you anymore. I will be at the guild awaiting your return with Lucy tonight at precisely 5 o'clock." And with that, the scarlet-haired woman jumped off the train with both Natsu and Happy.

After a moment, I sweatdropped. "Well... That was weird."

The leader laughed. "Looks like your little friends can't help you now." He chuckled before preparing to throw a gigantic fireball in my direction. He was caught off guard when I stood there. "You may know how to deal with fire wizards, but you've never met someone like me."

He hesitated then threw the fireball. There was a small explosion and all of the windows in the train car shattered from the blast. The leader laughed as the smoke started to fade. "That'll teach her not to mess with me." Then he froze, appalled.

I emerged from the smoke, steaming a little, but barely burnt at all. The leader made a ghost face and took a step back. "Who are you?!"

I looked at him harshly. "Where's my friend. The blonde one you guys tied up."

He took another step back and a few of his men ran in. "We'll help you, boss!"

I took a deep breath. "My name is Nelly Zera. I'm also known as Newt, The Sun Dragon."

I then cast the spell. "Sun Dragon Roar!" The spell blasted all of the men off of the train. It was almost funny seeing them get up and run away. I suddenly remembered about Lucy. I cupped my hands around my mouth and called out. "Lucy? Where are you?"

Almost out of nowhere, a weird cow-man burst through the door of the car. "She's in here Miss Lucy! Do I get a smooooch?"

Lucy then walked through the door, suddenly irritated. "Why don't you ask someone else?!" Lucy spotted me. "Nelly! I'm glad you're alright!"

I waved. "You too!"

Lucy started looking around the cabin when the cow-man disappeared. "Where are Natsu and Happy?"

I sweatdropped. "Umm... Some weird lady crashed in through the roof and took them." I rubbed my head, confused. "She had vividly red hair and was wearing a chest plate..."

Lucy gave a shocked face. "You saw Erza take Natsu and Happy?!"

"Do you know her? Is this Erza a member of Fairy Tail too?"

Lucy nodded. "She's easily the strongest female wizard in Fairy Tail. If you saw Erza take Natsu and Happy..." She shivered with terror and unease. "We'd better hope they're still alive by the time we get back to the guild."

Lucy then froze. I gave her a confused look. "What's wrong?"

"You use Dragon Slayer Magic just like Natsu!"

I blushed a little. "Oh, you saw that.. It's pitiful, isn't it?"

"What are you talking about? You sounded awesome!" Lucy correctly stated as she wasn't in the room. "And that giant hole proves it! And what about your confidence?"

I sweatdropped. "That was just a facade... I'm actually surprised it worked at all... Like I said before... It's nothing special.."

Lucy grew a little uneasy. In an effort to avoid anymore awkwardness, she pointed outside the train. "We should probably go talk to those guys we beat before the train gets too far away."

I nodded. "So... How should we stop the train?"

We both sweatdropped. "Uh..."

Lucy pulled out a key. "I've got an idea." She swung the key through the air. "Open gate of the Maiden, Virgo!"

I gave a small surprised look as a maid with pink hair appeared. "Are you a celestial wizard?"

"Uh huh! And that's what that cow-guy was? One of your spirits?"

"Yeah! That was Tauros, the Golden Bull. And I have other spirits too." She turned to the spirit she had summoned. "Alright Virgo, can you get us safely off the train?"

"Of course, Princess."

I chuckled. "She calls you Princess?"

Within an instant, Lucy and I were both thrown off of the train. We both hugged each other and screamed as we rolled into the... soft grass. Lucy and I sighed into relief and stood up, laughing a little. "I thought for sure your spirit was going to kill us.."

"On the contrary," Virgo landed behind us. "I was instructed to safely get the two of you off the train. So, I carried out my orders. Are you going to punish me now?"

I sweatdropped. "Your spirits sure are... special, aren't they..."

She looked a little emotionally drained. "Yeah... I know.."

Virgo bowed before disappearing. "Until next time, princess."

Lucy turned to me. "So, where are those guys? Natsu said they have Coki."

"I think they're this way. Let's go."

"Right!"

 ** _ooOoo_**

It took a while, but Lucy and I found the thieves. They were horrified of Lucy for some reason and handed over a pet crate without us even asking. Inside was... the lost pet we've been looking for. Lucy made a disgusted face. "It's just as ugly as that kid's picture!"

It was true. The animal named Coki was basically a blob with tiny eyes and two tails. But...

I blushed as I picked it up. "It's so cute!"

Lucy looked at me with an odd look. "You think that thing's cute?!"

After getting back onto the train, Lucy and I reached the manor from which Coki was taken. Turns out, the owner's kid WAS the one who drew the picture of their beloved pet. The boy's father was sweating nervously and with relief at the same time. "Th-Thank you for helping us, w-wizards from F-Fairy Tail."

Lucy smiled. "It was our pleasure, Sir."

The father then shook my hand."It was an honor to be your first job. I hope you know how grateful I am for bringing Coki back."

I blushed a little. "Thank you sir..."

"Now... About your reward..."

 _ **To Be Continued...**_


	5. Prologue 5: A Welcoming Party?

Lucy and I were walking back to the guild, heads hanging low with defeat. Lucy looked especially depressed. "I can't believe the reward money was fake!"

I sighed. "I'd hardly call an extra 0 a fake. It was an innocent mistake. I mean, at least we got SOME money in the end."

"30 thousand jewel split 2 ways won't pay our rents!"

I paused, realizing that Lucy was right."Crap.. Yeah..." I gave it a bit of thought before giving my share of the money to Lucy. She looked at me surprised. "You have to pay rent too, Nelly. Why are you giving this to me?"

I smiled. "I figured I'd help a new friend in need." I was then surprised when Lucy hugged me tightly.

"Thank you, Nelly."

I hugged her back. "Gregory said he'd hold the room for me. At least until I pay up. I'll be fine."

Lucy then got a horrified look on her face. "What was the last thing Erza told you before she left?"

"She said to be back at the guild by 5. Why?"

We both froze and looked at each other, horrified. without another word, Lucy and I ran for Magnolia as fast as we could.

ooOoo

Panting, Lucy and I finally made it back to to the guild hall just as the sun was starting to set. The moment I walked inside, someone yanked me in and pulled a blindfold over my eyes. "H-Hey! What's the big idea?!"

I struggled as I was dragged into the guild hall and was forced into a chair.

Confused, I took off the blindfold and was shocked to see most of my new guildmates surrounding the chair I was in.

"SURPRISE!"

I spotted Erza walking over with a cake. She set it down on the table in front of me. "Why were you late?"

I got the shivers from the look she was giving me. "I-I uh…" I spotted Lucy hiding behind a pillar. (So much for getting help.) Luckily for me, Mirajane stepped into the scene. "Don't mind her. She's just excited to start the party."

"A party? For who?"

Mirajane chuckled. "For you! As an official welcome to Fairy Tail!"

Everyone started cheering loudly. Even Erza got over her irritation. Out of nowhere, Natsu landed on the table. "EVERYBODY SHUT UP!"

When the entire room was quiet, he helped me onto the table. "So Nelly, what kind of magic do you use? I've been dying to know!"

The entire guild seemed to agree, all leaning in to listen. I blushed furiously, flattered that so many people wanted to know my magic. I puffed my chest out proudly. "I'm really good with Illusion magic. And I'm also a Sun Dragon Slayer!"

There were a lot of gasps and the room went dead silent. I blushed again, looking at the guild full of shocked faces other than the guild master and a few people hanging out on the second floor. "I….. Did I say something wrong?"

"YOU'RE ANOTHER DRAGON SLAYER!?"

I almost fell off the table when the guild shouted at me. I was getting a bit overwhelmed by the amount of questions. Suddenly Erza shouted. "Everyone be quiet!"

The room went silent immediately and Erza cleared her throat. "I'm sure many of you have questions for Miss Nelly Zera."

I sweatdropped. "Just Nelly is fine..."

"But why don't we enjoy her company first? It is a party after all. Let's save the questions for another day and focus on having a good time!"

The entire guild cheered, including myself. The party started off with lots of cake being served, along with booze and lots of other foods. It was a lot of fun getting to meet so many new people in a single night. There was even a miniature magic tournament for those who wanted to fight. Natsu kept pestering me to fight him until I finally accepted. He attacked me first with his Fire Dragon Roar, that was when I realized that I was (mostly) fireproof. Lucy gave a reasonable reason as to why that was.

"It would make sense since the sun is basically a big ball of fire. Maybe your magic evolved from his."

"I guess that makes sense… But he still beats me in hand to hand combat."

Natsu laughed. "Yeah, you're a shrimp!"

That was the final straw, so I summoned a HUGE bear. Natsu shrieked like a little girl and everyone laughed, knowing it was an illusion. Later that night, a lot of people started to leave to go home. That was when the arguing started.

"She can stay with me and Happy!"

"No way! She can't stay with you two pervs!"

"We're not gonna do anything, Lucy!"

"That's enough, you two."

They both froze in terror and looked at her.

"She should just stay with Lucy for now, it's only going to be for a few days. At least until she can find somewhere to live."

And just like that, it was settled.

 _ **End Prologue**_


	6. Chapter 1: A New Look!

Lucy unlocked the door to her apartment and Nelly followed her inside. It was a comfy looking apartment.

"You can sleep on one of the couches. I'm going to look for a spare pillow and blanket in the closet."

Nelly stretched before sitting down. "Thanks a lot Lucy. I really appreciate you letting me stay here."

Lucy laughed. "It's no trouble, though I think Erza had more say in it than I did."

Nelly giggled a bit. "Yeah. She IS pretty frightening. But she's super cool!"

"I know right?!"

Lucy and Nelly geeked out about a lot of things that night up until the hours of the morning. The next day, the two of them went shopping.

"So, Nelly. You don't have any spare clothes?"

Nelly sweatdropped, embarrassed. "I had to leave in a hurry, so I forgot to pack a lot of stuff..." It was true. All Nelly had to wear was a red Fairy Tail fan shirt and a white mini skirt. The two girls walked into a boutique.

"It's okay. Let's find you something that fits your personality."

Nelly tried on several outfits, but none of them seemed to interest her much. Lucy noticed a pink beaded bracelet that Nelly had set down. She picked it up. "Hey, Nelly. What's this?"

Nelly peeked out through the curtain. "Oh, that's a balance charm. It kept me from getting sick on the train."

Lucy gave her a surprised look. "You have motion sickness like Natsu?"

"Yeah. That thing saves me a lot of trouble. Baron gave it to me."

"Oooh! Who's Baron?" Lucy asked in a teasing manner.

Nelly laughed. "It's not like that at all. Baron's basically my brother."

"Oh. What does he look like? How come he wasn't with you when you joined the guild?"

Nelly paused in the middle of changing. "Well… I'll explain later. He couldn't go with me."

Lucy decided not to press further. "Okay. How do you like this one?"

Nelly didn't respond for a second. "I like it a lot, actually."

"Well, hurry up in there! I want to see it on you!"

Nelly pushed the curtain aside and stepped out. She didn't put the shoes on, but she did with the rest of the outfit. She wore knee-length red pants with a white floral patterned shirt complete with a vermilion Fairy Tail hair tie holding her short, pink-brown hair up.

"Wow! You look great, Nel!"

Nelly blushed. "Thank you.."

"Why aren't you wearing shoes?"

Nelly puffed her chest out. "I believe in freedom from footwear. Besides, my guild mark is on my right foot."

Lucy sweatdropped. "Right…"

"So…. how will we pay for this?"

"Oh." Her friend smiled. "I'll pay for it. Don't worry."

Nelly blushed. "No please. You've already done a lot for me."

"I said don't worry! It's on me, I insist."

ooOoo

After the shopping Lucy and Nelly decided to head to the guild to hang out. Upon arrival, Nelly was welcomed by Natsu, Happy, Gray, and Erza. Nelly waved. "Hey guys."

Erza waved. "Hello, Nelly Zera. You look different."

Nelly blushed at the formal use of her name. "I went shopping with Lucy. And just Nelly is fine…"

Lucy was grinning. "Isn't she cute, guys?"

"You look good!"

Nelly laughed a little. "It's nice to have friends."

A small noise was suddenly heard approaching the guildhall. Gray stood up. "What the heck is that? It's so annoying."

Nelly approached the door. "I'll check it out."

Upon opening the door, Nelly was tackled to the ground by a small red thing moving incredibly fast. Immediately, the gang prepared to defend their friend. Until they saw what it was. Happy's jaw dropped.

The red thing was bawling and clinging to Nelly. "Nelly! I'm so glad I found you!"

Happy was in shock. "It's a flying kitty like me!"

Nelly squealed with joy, much to everyone's confusion. She stood up, hugging the red cat tightly. "Baron!"

Now it was Lucy's turn to be confused. "Wait! THAT'S Baron?!"

Baron wiped his tears away, smiling. "That's me!"

Lucy looked at Nelly. "I thought he'd be…. You know…"

Erza went into thought. "So you know this cat, then."

Nelly nodded."He's my brother!" She said with a smile.

Natsu ran over. "This is so cool! You even have a cat like me!"

Baron was a red cat with gray eyes and a white patch on his belly, like Happy. He also had two smaller stripes on the tip of his tail. He also wore a blue striped bandana. Nelly hugged her friend tightly. "I thought you were still at Lion Heart! How did you get here?"

The cat was shaking hard. "They're coming to bring you back."

Nelly put on a face of terror, which surprised everyone in the room. Natsu stepped forward. "I'm really lost. You ate a cat liver?"

Gray scoffed. "You idiot. She said Lion Heart."

Erza nodded. "I'm not familiar with the name. Perhaps you can explain?"

Nelly stood up and set Baron down. "Lion Heart is an orphanage guild. They found me when my dad, Salees, disappeared 7 years ago."

Everyone nodded, listening. "Their goal is to raise orphans that are wizards. Normally, you're not supposed to leave the guild until you turn 18… But…"

"I think I get it." Erza interrupted. "You're not 18, are you?"

Nelly shook her head. "I'm only 15."

Everyone was shocked. Nelly started shaking. "But the thing about Lion Heart is that there are two guildmasters."

"Two? That's kinda weird."

"Gray! Shh! I'm trying to listen!"

"And… They're both very…. Umm…"

Baron jumped up. "They're crazy! One of them is really mean and the other is really nice, but they're both lunatics!"

At that moment, there was a loud knock on the guild door.


	7. Chapter 2: Lion Heart!

Nelly immediately tried to run but a hand grabbed her shoulder tightly. She sweatdropped and nervously. "H-Hey Matina and Dereka…"

The two women who entered the guild hall were none other than the guildmasters of Lion Heart. Dereka looked especially ticked off while Matina was simply smiling. "Looks like we caught up with you, Little Nelly."

Nelly gulped. "I-I… Uh…"

Dereka picked Nelly and Baron up with ease. "I apologize for this Makarov, I'll take these two off your hands."

Nelly struggled. "Hey! Put me down!"

Makarov blocked the door. "Now hold on just a minute."

Dereka stopped. "What is it, Makarov"

"It seems there's a mistake. Miss Nelly Zera is a member of Fairy Tail. Seems you have no say in what she does any longer."

Matina stepped forward. "On the contrary, the magic council laws strictly state that a member of an orphanage guild cannot leave that guild for any reason unless the child is adopted or turns 18. Her being admitted to your guild was simply a mistake."

Dereka walked past the angry Makarov as Nelly continued to struggle. Natsu then ran at her. "No one's taking Nelly anywhere!"

He took a battle stance. "FIRE DRAGON-"

With a single hand, Matina sent Natsu flying with a hammer for an arm. She then giggled. "Sorry Hun, this is an adult matter."

"Natsu!" Happy flew to his friend, who was in a daze. "What the heck was that?!"

Matina giggled. "That's my Arms Magic. It allows me to turn my arms into whatever weapon I want."

Natsu forced himself to get up. "You can't just take her! Let's have a duel! If you win, Nelly can go back to Lion Heart." He grinned. "And if WE win, she gets to stay in Fairy Tail."

Dereka froze. "What an interesting idea. How does that sound, sister?"

Matina laughed. "It sounds like a lot of fun!"

ooOoo

The gang stood just outside the guildhall and the guildmasters of Lion Heart were as well.

Makarov volunteered to be the referee. "This is a match between Natsu and Matina of Lion Heart. The first wizard to either forfeit or be knocked unconscious will be declared the loser."

Natsu cracked his knuckles. "I can't wait to pound your face in, lady."

Matina smiled. "I hope you survive."

Natsu got a blank look. "Wait, what?" He then barely avoided her axe hand from slicing his head off. Nelly at the time, along with Baron, was hiding behind Makarov, watching.

Natsu retaliated. "FIRE DRAGON ROAR!"

In one fluid motion, still smiling, Matina aimed a cannon arm at him and fired. The attack hit Natsu right in the stomach and he went flying. Natsu landed on his feet and fired another breath attack. Matina dodged it with ease and shot another cannon. "You'll never defeat me! Nelly needs to come to Lion Heart with us! And Baron too!"

"Not if I can help it!" Natsu managed to get behind her. "Nelly might be new, but she's more than just our newest member!"

Matina spun around, shocked. (How did he get behind me?!) But Natsu was gone again.

"The wizards in Fairy Tail aren't just allies or friends!" Natsu prepared a Fire Dragon Iron Fist. "THEY'RE FAMILY!"

Nelly was shocked to hear Natsu's words. She found them comforting and sniffled. Matina was struck by Natsu and flew into a nearby wall. Her head was spinning. Makarov grinned. "Great work, Natsu!" He then turned to Dereka. "Lion Heart! Send forward your second challenger!"

Dereka stepped forward, glaring daggers at Natsu, who shivered. "Whoa, she's almost as scary as Erza!"

Erza sweatdropped. "Should I be insulted by that?"

"Battle begin!"

Dereka started drawing her signature sword. "I'll finish this quickly."

Baron had no faith whatsoever in Natsu. "He's dead meat…" Nelly sweatdropped, silently agreeing.

Natsu grinned. "This is going to be easy!" He took a deep breath. "FIRE DRAGON-"

With a single blow, Natsu's face was slammed into the ground and he was out like a light. Lucy, Nelly, Happy, and Baron screamed in shock. Even Makarov was in shock. Dereka swung her sword. "Fairy Tail, send your second wizard forward. You may have defeated my sister, but I'm on a completely different level."

Gray started to step forward, cracking his knuckles and shirtless. "I've got this."

"Gray, hold on."

Nelly looked at Erza, surprised. She stepped forward into the makeshift arena. "Nelly Zera's future with Fairy Tail is at stake. Allow me to defeat Dereka instead."

Nelly sweatdropped. (Why does you use my full name all the time…?)

Gray hesitated before stepping aside for Erza. Dereka watched Erza curiously. "I've heard of the Salamander of Fairy Tail, but I don't know who you are."

"I am Erza Scarlet, otherwise known as Titania, The Fairy Queen."

"I see. And by your looks, I would guess that you use requip magic. I'm assuming The Knight"

"That's right. And what about your magic?"

"I use Living Weapon magic."

Gray and Lucy became confused. "I've never heard of that kind of magic.."

"I haven't either."

Baron raised his paw. "It's a type of soul controlling magic. The sword she's holding will defend Dereka with its "life", and it can even move on its own."

Erza raised an eyebrow. "How bizarre."

Dereka was still glaring. "Are you frightened?"

Erza smiled. "On the contrary, I'm excited for this fight. In fact-" Erza requiped into her Black Wing Armor. "I'm prepared to fight to the death."

There were a lot of gasps of shock from everyone that was watching. Nelly's eyes went wide. (To the death?!)

Dereka laughed. "You'd die so a child can stay in your guild?"

"She's more than a child. She's Nelly Zera of Fairy Tail. And I won't allow you to tear her from our family."

Dereka stepped forward, ready to attack. "She belongs with Lion Heart."

"It doesn't matter what you think. I WILL win this fight."

Dereka grinned. "So, a fight to the death it is then."


	8. Chapter 3: Not Afraid!

Two razor-sharp swords collided in a shower of sparks. Neither Dereka or Erza were going to back down from this fight. It was a matter of life and death. Literally. The two were easily equally matched. The swords were moving at blinding speeds. Erza was barely able to block Dereka's blows just as Dereka could barely block Erza's. Baron could tell that Nelly was getting really nervous. It was obvious that she didn't want either of them to die. Both Erza and Dereka were both taking deep breaths.

"I'm surprised a young woman such as yourself can match my skills with a sword. Color me impressed."

"You're not so bad yourself." Erza replied, readying her sword.

Dereka did the same. "The final strike…. I wonder which one of us will survive it."

Nelly's eyes went wide with fear. (N-No…. They can't…) When the two women ran at each other, she sprinted in between the two of them, eyes closed tight. "Please stop! I don't want either of you to kill each other for my sake!"

It was silent. Nelly wiped the tears from her eyes and opened them. Nelly froze with terror. Two women's swords were both millimeters from piercing her head. And on top of that, both Erza and Dereka were glaring daggers at her. Nelly gulped. "Both of you need to stop this."

The two women were then surprised to see the girl crying. Nelly was blushing furiously, but still crying. "I…. I-I don't want either of you to die! It's not right!"

Everyone was shocked. Nelly had just vocalized what they were all thinking. Nelly wiped the tears from her eyes. "I love this guild, and I love the both of you too…" She turned to Erza. "If it means risking your life, then I'll go back to Lion Heart."

That also made everyone gasp. Natsu sat up. "No way! After all that, you're just going to give up?"

"I'm not giving up!" Nelly clenched her fists."I don't want anyone to die for my sake!"

"That's quite enough."

Nelly stopped and looked at Dereka. She had an unreadable expression. She sheathed her sword and walked forward. Nelly, very intimidated, gulped. "I'll go back with you…. And Baron too.."

Baron sniffled. "Nelly… don't do it…"

Nelly felt a hand on her shoulder. "That won't be necessary."

The group of young wizards were surprised to see Matina back on her feet so quickly. "I've heard enough." She smiled. "That settles it, you can stay in Fairy Tail."

The entire guild's shouts of confused shock filled the air. Nelly's eyes went wide with hopefulness. "Are you serious? Can Baron and I really stay?"

Dereka put on a face of defeated shock. "Matina… Why are you taking her side all of a sudden?"

Her sister smiled. "It's obvious that she cares about these people. They must be truly something special."

Nelly hugged Matina tightly. "Thank you so much!" She then approached Dereka, who growled. "Don't you da-"

When Nelly hugged her, she fell silent. The others backed away, surprised that she would even hug her considering what happened. After a little bit, Dereka blushed a little and hugged back. "I swear, you're such a nuisance." She then gave a small smile. "But you're such a special one."

Nelly giggled. "Well, I want to thank you for-"

"WE CAN STAY!" Baron tackled Nelly and the two rolled across the ground, laughing with joy. A lot of guild members joined her laughter. Gray picked the two tiny wizards up and hugged them tightly in an innocent, friendly manner, until he was punched by Elfman due to him being half naked. Along with getting stuck in the tree and getting nearly roasted alive by Natsu who "wanted to help get her down", Nelly laughed at how silly her guildmates were. She truly felt at home with the Fairy Tail guild, destruction and all.

Later that day, the entire guild accompanied the two guildmasters of Lion Heart to the train station. Nelly and Matina were talking away about something and Baron was chatting with Dereka. "Baron, listen."

"Yeah?"

"I care about you two. That's why we came. I hope the two of you take good care of each other."

Baron simply smiled. "She knows already."

Dereka chuckled. "I guess that's true."

When it was time to leave, Matina and Dereka were surprised when Nelly hugged the both of them. "I'll miss you guys…"

Dereka frowned. "Take care of yourself. Don't cause your guildmates anymore trouble."

Nelly blushed. "Right…"

Matina smiled. "Oh, don't listen to the worrywart. I'm sure you'll become a great wizard and an even greater friend to your guildmates."

Dereka gave a quick smile. "Couldn't have said it better myself.."

Nelly's eyes watered up a bit as the train left the station. Baron landed on her shoulder. "It's nerve-racking, isn't it?"

"What is?"

"Joining a real magical guild."

Nelly wiped the tears from her eyes. "No way, not for me."

Baron gave a confused look. "What do you mean?"

"It's the start of an amazing adventure!"

Natsu put his hand on her shoulder. "You got it, kiddo!"

"I'm not a kid! I'm not that much younger than you are!"


	9. Chapter 4: A Cloudy Day!

Baron ran over to Nelly, who was eating at a nearby table. "Nelly! Nelly! I got my guild mark!"

She grinned. "That's awesome!"

Baron threw his fist into the air. "We're officially wizards!"

Nelly joined him. "Yeah!"

The guild's doors were then thrown open by Natsu. "Nelly! Let's fight!"

Nelly sat down and continued eating. "Not a chance."

He walked over. "Aww. Why not?"

"Because you already asked me yesterday and the day before and the day before that. Why would my answer be different today?"

"I don't know… But why not?"

Nelly sighed. "Because I don't feel like getting my butt kicked again.."

"Again?"

"You already forgot that you beat me up before I even officially joined the guild?"

"Oh yeah! That was a ton of fun! Hey, let's fight again!"

"I already said no!"

Baron nonchalantly nibbled on the chicken leg he was eating. "You should fight him."

Nelly gave him a horrified look. "Why would I doom myself like that?!"

"You already said you needed more fighting experience! This is your chance!"

Nelly sweatdropped. (Crap, Baron's right… But I REALLY don't want to fight Natsu. Well.. I suppose it's better than fighting Gray or even….. Erza.) She shivered at the thought. "Okay. Sure."

"YES!" Natsu practically leaped into the air with excitement. Nelly facepalmed, "I hope I'm not making a mistake…"

~A Short While Later~

Gray nearly spit out his drink. "Wait, Nelly and that meathead are gonna fight?!"

Erza nodded. "I overheard the two of them talking about it. Apparently, the battle is scheduled for noon today. And put some clothes on."

Gray leaned back in his chair. "I will in a minute."

Lucy then entered the guild hall. "Hey guys, have you seen Nelly? I told her I'd help her out with a job today."

Gray pointed to the clock. "Well, if you hurry, you can catch her while she's still in one piece."

Lucy got a worried look. "What do you mean…?"

Erza ate a slice of her cake. "I'm sure she'll be fine. It's only Natsu, after all."

Lucy got a horrified look on her face. "SHE'S GOING TO FIGHT NATSU?!" Lucy sped out of the guild as fast as she could. Erza stood up. "Perhaps I should join her."

Gray shrugged. "You said it yourself. She'll be fine. Natsu wouldn't hurt her that bad."

She started making her way towards the door. "I'm sure she will, but I'm going to make sure Natsu doesn't take it too far. You should know that he lacks restraint."

~Meanwhile, On the outskirts of Magnolia…~

Nelly stood by a cliff, kicking at the dirt with her bare feet and Baron was sitting on her shoulder. "I hope you win, Nelly!

The girl gave a soft smile. "Thanks, buddy. I need your support."

"Are you going to try to use your Sun Dragon Slayer Magic?"

Nelly gave her feline friend a confused look. "Why wouldn't I? It's a fight, right? My illusion magic won't be able to beat him alone."

"But it's cloudy outside."

Nelly looked up and sweatdropped. (Crap, Baron's right.) While lost in her thoughts, Natsu and Happy came into view. He waved.

"Hey! Are you ready to get this started?"

Nelly smiled at his enthusiasm. "I'm ready when you are!"

Without further warning, Natsu swung his flaming fist at Nelly, who was barely able to avoid the attack. Baron flew away. "I believe in you, Nelly!"

Nelly was on edge. Natsu, on the other hand, was grinning with confidence. Nelly dodged another attack. (I have a huge disadvantage here. Natsu is skilled in hand to hand combat. That's where I lack the most.)

"FIRE DRAGON ROAR!"

On reflex, she retaliated with an attack of her own. "Sun Dragon Roar!" Nelly was surprised to see it blow right through Natsu's attack and hit him square in the chest.

Natsu shook it off. "That's a powerful breath attack you have there!"

Baron called out to Nelly. "It looks like your sun magic absorbed Natsu's fire magic!"

Nelly quickly retaliated, swinging her fist. "Sun Dragon Claw!"

Natsu caught her fist mid swing. "That won't work on me!"

The girl was thrown off but she maintained her footing. (I don't know what else to do! He can hit me harder than a train!) That was when the young wizard sprouted an idea. She took a stance. "I summon you! Giant Beast of the Underworld! Come Cerberus!"

Natsu once again fell for her illusion magic and screamed as the wolf approached him. Nelly ran with the wolf to stay hidden. (If I can get one good hit on Natsu, I might stand a chance. I have to time this perfectly.)

Nel timed her jump and when the wolf vanished, Natsu was exactly where she wanted him to be. She leapt into the air and swung her arms back. "Sun Dragon Wing Attack!"

She managed to catch the Fire Dragon Slayer by surprise when he realized the wolf was an illusion. Natsu was open. Nelly's attack was on its way to hit the mark, but out of nowhere, some clouds drifted over the sun. With no direct sunlight, Nelly's Sun Dragon Wing Attack faded and her eyes widened. "Uh oh."

Natsu seemed shocked at first then grinned when he saw his opening. Happy cheered for Natsu and Baron covered his eyes, both at the sideline. Natsu took a deep breath which caused Nelly to sweat nervously.

"FIRE DRAGON-"

Nelly's eyes widened. (I'm so dead.)

"ROAR!" The breath attack hits its mark and the young Dragon Slayer was sent flying. She hit the ground, face first, defeated with one blow. Natsu threw his fist into the air. "Yeah! I won!"

After a short moment, Nel sat up, a little burnt, but alright. She lightly laughed. "Did you expect a different outcome? I didn't stand a chance!"

Baron flew over, "Are you okay, Nelly?"

"Yeah! That was actually really fun!"

"Why did you battle him knowing you were already at a disadvantage?" Nelly looked towards the source of the voice and blushed in embarrassment. Erza and Gray had watched the fight. Natsu seemed to get offended. "You guys were watching the whole time?!"

They approached. Erza was glaring daggers at Nel and she was getting nervous. She stopped just shy of Nelly. "So your magic is useless on cloudy days. Nighttime as well?"

Nel hung her head. "Yeah.."

Lucy had just arrived, panting. She looked like she ran over as fast as she could. "You seem to be in one piece. I thought for sure that Natsu was going to-"

Erza interrupted her. "Do you realize how huge a weakness that is?!"

Both Nelly and Lucy's eyes widened as she continued. "You won't have opponents like Natsu who will show you mercy."

Nelly straightened up. "Y-Yes ma'am."

Natsu got a chip. "Hey! I'm not merciful!" He ran at Erza, who knocked him out with one blow. "Stay out of it!"

The armoured wizard sighed and rubbed her temple. "That is troublesome indeed… But… for the time being, I guess it's alright."

The young Dragon Slayer sighed with relief. Everyone soon departed for the guild hall. Baron smiled mischievously. "You should fight Gray next!"

Lucy glared. "She shouldn't have fought Natsu to begin with! What makes you think fighting a second person would be a good idea?!"

Nelly sweatdropped. "True…"

Erza handed unconscious Natsu to Gray and turned to Nel. "I have a proposal."

"Huh?"

Erza smiled. "How about you and I go on a job tomorrow instead of you and Lucy?"


	10. Chapter 5: All that Belongs to You!

The next morning, Baron yawned and got out of bed. Within a few minutes, he flew all the way to the guild and sat at a table, a little worried. "She should have come back last night. I'll just sit here and wait for Nelly to come back."

~In the forest outside Plume Valley…~

"ERZA! HELP!"

Nelly screamed as she ran from the gigantic reptilian bird breathing fire and wind magic at her. She barely managed to dodge all of the attacks from the angry mom. Erza, however, was on the sidelines. Earlier that morning, she had shown her true colors that she was not going to help the young Dragon Slayer with this job. She was merely going to be a supervisor and the only reason she would help is if she sensed Nelly's life was in danger.

~Earlier that morning..~

Nelly started freaking out. "I'm supposed to do what?!"

Erza handed her the red, orange, and yellow egg. "You are supposed to return this dragonbird egg to its nest without hurting it or the mother. It's the reason this town is under attack."

"You're not even going to help me!"

Erza's expression didn't change. "You said you wanted to become a stronger wizard. This job would be no problem for me."

"Then tell me how to do it!"

"I can't. This is something you need to do on your own." Her face became very serious. "And should you fail-"

Before she could even finish, Nelly had already taken off into the forest.

~Back to the present..~

Erza was watching the fight from a distance, and so were the townspeople. (This is her test. Should she succeed or fail, she will gain a lot of experience from this.)

Nelly ducked just in time. The dragonbird's tail had flown past her head and snapped the tree behind her like a toothpick. The dragonbird mother was about two stories tall and five stories long. Complete with her magical abilities and her size, this mama was not to be messed with. The town elder's words still remained in Nelly's head.

("If the mother sees the egg in the nest, it should stop attacking. But until then, be prepare to become a human barbeque!")

Nelly took a deep breath. She knew she wasn't supposed to hurt the creature, so she had a plan. "Sun Dragon Roar!"

The attack hit the ground in front of the bird's feet and a storm of dust appeared. Nelly took the opportunity to run for it. She spotted the gigantic nest on top of the biggest tree in the forest. She was almost to the tree when the egg started thrashing around. Nelly's eyes widened, knowing what was happening. She dove under the tree's huge root, narrowly avoiding the dragonbird's beak.

Nelly took the egg out of the bag and it glowed brilliantly before the eggshell flew apart. The Dragon Slayer stared at the tiny, orange, dragonbird in her lap. It was super cute with big round blue eyes. It peeped and looked at Nelly curiously. Nelly breathed a small sigh of relief. "At least you don't take after your mama."

Nelly tucked the hatchling back into the bag fighting to urge to 'Aww!' She took a deep breath before dashing out from under the roots of the nesting tree. She narrowly avoided a nip from angry bird mom and started to scale the tree. Nelly knew the mother wouldn't burn her own home tree down, but kept in mind she could still bite.

Nelly had never been a good climber, even as a kid. She had always had Baron to carry her where she needed to go. Her shoulders slumped a little. She missed her furry friend. The guilt of leaving Baron behind had started to catch up with her. She heard one of the townspeople shout 'Watch out!' and barely avoided being crunched by the dragonbird with a cry of surprise.

She shook her head hard and muttered. "I need to pay more attention. I wish Baron was here with me. This would be so easy.." After another minute or so, Nelly had made it to the top of the tree where the nest was. She poked her head through the leaves, looking side to side for the mother, but she was nowhere to be seen.

She breathed a sigh of relief and jumped into the nest. She knelt down and let the hatchling out of the bag. It squeaked before curling up comfortably with its mother's stray feathers which emanated warmth. Nelly pet the tiny dragonbird. "You're home, little guy."

With a loud screech, the mother appeared out of nowhere and knocked Nelly onto her back then pinning her down with her razor sharp talons. It screeched with victory. Nelly panicked. "I brought your baby back! Why are you still mad at me?!"

The mother dragonbird prepared to bite down when the hatchling hopped onto her foot, chirping harshly. The mother was stunned at the little ball of feathers. It even spewed a little fire, determined to protect Nelly. The mother sniffed the baby before nuzzling it. She lifted her talons, allowing Nelly to sit up. Mother and baby reunited, the two shared a tender moment.

Nelly was still sitting and the baby ran over and hopped on her shoulder. Nelly chuckled, looking at the mom. "You know, we may be different species," she lit her hand with her sun magic, which resembled golden flames. "but our magic is very similar. Yours is a perfect mix of fire and air. Mine is fire and light. You dragonbirds are amazing creatures."

The dragonbird bowed for what Nelly could see as a thank you. Nelly stood up and bowed as well. "Thank you for not eating me. It was nice meeting you." She set the hatchling down and moved to leave the nest when she stepped on a weak spot and fell through the nest.

"Ahh!" She hit just about every branch before hitting the ground face first. Sitting up, the young dragon slayer spit up the dirt in her mouth. "Ouch… That one hurt."

A hand was extended towards her to help her up. It was a smiling Erza. Nelly took her hand and Erza pulled her onto her feet.

"Congratulations, Nelly Zera. You just completed your first solo job."

The girl blushed. "Stop calling me by my full name!"

The town's elder laughed. "Come, young wizards. Let us give you your reward!"

~Sometime Later~

The town was in a very good mood and had thrown a small banquet as a thank you for the two wizards from Fairy Tail. Nelly grinned. (Just in time for lunch!) She picked up one of the sandwiches and took a bite. It was the most delicious sandwich Nelly had ever taken a bite out of. The townspeople were laughing and cheering. Erza however, looked suspicious. She kept looking at some nearby bushes.

Just as Nelly was about to take another bite of the sandwich when suddenly an arrow pierced right through it, forcing it out of her hands and into a nearby fence. Erza's eyes widened. Everyone at the table then heard a voice.

"Ready? Fire!"

In an instant Erza flipped the table over and shouted "Everyone take cover! Quickly!"

Everyone dove behind the table which was assaulted by dozens of arrows. Thanks to Erza's quick thinking, not a single person was injured. She summoned a sword and stepped out from behind the table. "Show yourself, cowards!"

Nelly was still depressed about her lost sandwich when about a dozen men came out of the forest. "Who are you? Why do you attack us?" Erza demanded. The biggest of the men stepped forward, carrying a nasty looking bow. In fact, they all were wielding the same, terrifying bows. Erza glared at them. "Answer me!"

The man chuckled. "Relax, sweetheart, we weren't aiming for you. We only wanted to get our revenge on the upstart who stole our egg!"

Nelly stopped sulking for a moment. (Wait, they're after me?!)

Erza summoned more swords. "You'll regret trying to harm a member of Fairy Tail. You'll be lucky if you walk away with your lives."

Nelly walked out from behind the table. "Erza."

Erza paused.

"If they want to get to me, then let them. I can take them."

Erza gave a small surprised look. "Are you sure?"

Nelly walked between Erza and the group of thugs. "Absolutely. Besides."

Nelly faced the men with an extremely angry look on her face, one Erza had never seen before. "They. Ruined. My. Sandwich."

In the blink of an eye, Nelly started thrashing the group of men with her dragon slayer magic. After a moment of being initially stunned, Erza sent her swords back and chuckled. "Seems I wasn't needed after all."

In minutes, the entire group, save for the leader, was completely defeated. The other men were in a pile, unconscious. The leader was left. He hadn't even moved for most of the fight. When Nelly finally swung at him with her Sun Dragon Claw, he blocked the attack almost effortlessly. Nelly was then slammed into a tree. She winced. (Oww… That hurt. A lot.)

That was when the leader drew a sword. "Say goodbye princess! This is what you get for nabbing our dragonbird egg!"

Nelly's eyes widened. "You were the ones who took the egg?!"

The man grinned. "Gotta problem with thieves, girly?"

Nelly braced herself. "As a matter of fact, I do."

The guy opened his mouth to speak but was cut off by a familiar roar of anger. Nelly looked up and spotted the dragonbird mother growling angrily. She landed just shy of the leader and roared in his face. He screamed with terror as the mother crushed him under her talons. Now that he was immobilized, the police arrived.

As it turned out, the group of thieves were actually the Starsky Raiders! Nelly breathed a sigh of relief. "That's two whole jobs in one day…"


	11. Chapter 6: Angry Mother and The Raiders!

The next morning, Baron yawned and got out of bed. Within a few minutes, he flew all the way to the guild and sat at a table, a little worried. "She should have come back last night. I'll just sit here and wait for Nelly to come back."

~In the forest outside Plume Valley…~

"ERZA! HELP!"

Nelly screamed as she ran from the gigantic reptilian bird breathing fire and wind magic at her. She barely managed to dodge all of the attacks from the angry mom. Erza, however, was on the sidelines. Earlier that morning, she had shown her true colors that she was not going to help the young Dragon Slayer with this job. She was merely going to be a supervisor and the only reason she would help is if she sensed Nelly's life was in danger.

~Earlier that morning..~

Nelly started freaking out. "I'm supposed to do what?!"

Erza handed her the red, orange, and yellow egg. "You are supposed to return this dragonbird egg to its nest without hurting it or the mother. It's the reason this town is under attack."

"You're not even going to help me!"

Erza's expression didn't change. "You said you wanted to become a stronger wizard. This job would be no problem for me."

"Then tell me how to do it!"

"I can't. This is something you need to do on your own." Her face became very serious. "And should you fail-"

Before she could even finish, Nelly had already taken off into the forest.

~Back to the present..~

Erza was watching the fight from a distance, and so were the townspeople. (This is her test. Should she succeed or fail, she will gain a lot of experience from this.)

Nelly ducked just in time. The dragonbird's tail had flown past her head and snapped the tree behind her like a toothpick. The dragonbird mother was about two stories tall and five stories long. Complete with her magical abilities and her size, this mama was not to be messed with. The town elder's words still remained in Nelly's head.

("If the mother sees the egg in the nest, it should stop attacking. But until then, be prepare to become a human barbeque!")

Nelly took a deep breath. She knew she wasn't supposed to hurt the creature, so she had a plan. "Sun Dragon Roar!"

The attack hit the ground in front of the bird's feet and a storm of dust appeared. Nelly took the opportunity to run for it. She spotted the gigantic nest on top of the biggest tree in the forest. She was almost to the tree when the egg started thrashing around. Nelly's eyes widened, knowing what was happening. She dove under the tree's huge root, narrowly avoiding the dragonbird's beak.

Nelly took the egg out of the bag and it glowed brilliantly before the eggshell flew apart. The Dragon Slayer stared at the tiny, orange, dragonbird in her lap. It was super cute with big round blue eyes. It peeped and looked at Nelly curiously. Nelly breathed a small sigh of relief. "At least you don't take after your mama."

Nelly tucked the hatchling back into the bag fighting to urge to 'Aww!' She took a deep breath before dashing out from under the roots of the nesting tree. She narrowly avoided a nip from angry bird mom and started to scale the tree. Nelly knew the mother wouldn't burn her own home tree down, but kept in mind she could still bite.

Nelly had never been a good climber, even as a kid. She had always had Baron to carry her where she needed to go. Her shoulders slumped a little. She missed her furry friend. The guilt of leaving Baron behind had started to catch up with her. She heard one of the townspeople shout 'Watch out!' and barely avoided being crunched by the dragonbird with a cry of surprise.

She shook her head hard and muttered. "I need to pay more attention. I wish Baron was here with me. This would be so easy.." After another minute or so, Nelly had made it to the top of the tree where the nest was. She poked her head through the leaves, looking side to side for the mother, but she was nowhere to be seen.

She breathed a sigh of relief and jumped into the nest. She knelt down and let the hatchling out of the bag. It squeaked before curling up comfortably with its mother's stray feathers which emanated warmth. Nelly pet the tiny dragonbird. "You're home, little guy."

With a loud screech, the mother appeared out of nowhere and knocked Nelly onto her back then pinning her down with her razor sharp talons. It screeched with victory. Nelly panicked. "I brought your baby back! Why are you still mad at me?!"

The mother dragonbird prepared to bite down when the hatchling hopped onto her foot, chirping harshly. The mother was stunned at the little ball of feathers. It even spewed a little fire, determined to protect Nelly. The mother sniffed the baby before nuzzling it. She lifted her talons, allowing Nelly to sit up. Mother and baby reunited, the two shared a tender moment.

Nelly was still sitting and the baby ran over and hopped on her shoulder. Nelly chuckled, looking at the mom. "You know, we may be different species," she lit her hand with her sun magic, which resembled golden flames. "but our magic is very similar. Yours is a perfect mix of fire and air. Mine is fire and light. You dragonbirds are amazing creatures."

The dragonbird bowed for what Nelly could see as a thank you. Nelly stood up and bowed as well. "Thank you for not eating me. It was nice meeting you." She set the hatchling down and moved to leave the nest when she stepped on a weak spot and fell through the nest.

"Ahh!" She hit just about every branch before hitting the ground face first. Sitting up, the young dragon slayer spit up the dirt in her mouth. "Ouch… That one hurt."

A hand was extended towards her to help her up. It was a smiling Erza. Nelly took her hand and Erza pulled her onto her feet.

"Congratulations, Nelly Zera. You just completed your first solo job."

The girl blushed. "Stop calling me by my full name!"

The town's elder laughed. "Come, young wizards. Let us give you your reward!"

~Sometime Later~

The town was in a very good mood and had thrown a small banquet as a thank you for the two wizards from Fairy Tail. Nelly grinned. (Just in time for lunch!) She picked up one of the sandwiches and took a bite. It was the most delicious sandwich Nelly had ever taken a bite out of. The townspeople were laughing and cheering. Erza however, looked suspicious. She kept looking at some nearby bushes.

Just as Nelly was about to take another bite of the sandwich when suddenly an arrow pierced right through it, forcing it out of her hands and into a nearby fence. Erza's eyes widened. Everyone at the table then heard a voice.

"Ready? Fire!"

In an instant Erza flipped the table over and shouted "Everyone take cover! Quickly!"

Everyone dove behind the table which was assaulted by dozens of arrows. Thanks to Erza's quick thinking, not a single person was injured. She summoned a sword and stepped out from behind the table. "Show yourself, cowards!"

Nelly was still depressed about her lost sandwich when about a dozen men came out of the forest. "Who are you? Why do you attack us?" Erza demanded. The biggest of the men stepped forward, carrying a nasty looking bow. In fact, they all were wielding the same, terrifying bows. Erza glared at them. "Answer me!"

The man chuckled. "Relax, sweetheart, we weren't aiming for you. We only wanted to get our revenge on the upstart who stole our egg!"

Nelly stopped sulking for a moment. (Wait, they're after me?!)

Erza summoned more swords. "You'll regret trying to harm a member of Fairy Tail. You'll be lucky if you walk away with your lives."

Nelly walked out from behind the table. "Erza."

Erza paused.

"If they want to get to me, then let them. I can take them."

Erza gave a small surprised look. "Are you sure?"

Nelly walked between Erza and the group of thugs. "Absolutely. Besides."

Nelly faced the men with an extremely angry look on her face, one Erza had never seen before. "They. Ruined. My. Sandwich."

In the blink of an eye, Nelly started thrashing the group of men with her dragon slayer magic. After a moment of being initially stunned, Erza sent her swords back and chuckled. "Seems I wasn't needed after all."

In minutes, the entire group, save for the leader, was completely defeated. The other men were in a pile, unconscious. The leader was left. He hadn't even moved for most of the fight. When Nelly finally swung at him with her Sun Dragon Claw, he blocked the attack almost effortlessly. Nelly was then slammed into a tree. She winced. (Oww… That hurt. A lot.)

That was when the leader drew a sword. "Say goodbye princess! This is what you get for nabbing our dragonbird egg!"

Nelly's eyes widened. "You were the ones who took the egg?!"

The man grinned. "Gotta problem with thieves, girly?"

Nelly braced herself. "As a matter of fact, I do."

The guy opened his mouth to speak but was cut off by a familiar roar of anger. Nelly looked up and spotted the dragonbird mother growling angrily. She landed just shy of the leader and roared in his face. He screamed with terror as the mother crushed him under her talons. Now that he was immobilized, the police arrived.

As it turned out, the group of thieves were actually the Starsky Raiders! Nelly breathed a sigh of relief. "That's two whole jobs in one day…"


	12. Chapter 7: A Vicious Beast!

Baron was pacing back and forth quickly. "She should be back by now! She said it would just be a one day trip! She should have been back yesterday!"

Lucy sat down at the table the red cat was pacing on and sweatdropped. She whispered to Gray. "I thought Erza said it would be a week."

"A WEEK?!"

Lucy and Gray couldn't figure out why the little red cat was so upset. Happy flew over. "Baron? What's the big deal? It's only a week. Hasn't Nelly left you for that long before?"

That remark only seemed to make it worse. Tears had started to form in Baron's eyes. Happy seemed to be very put off and became very flustered. "I'm sorry! That was insensitive! Here, take my fish!"

Baron felt a hand on his head and looked up. It was Natsu. "Listen, buddy. Nelly's going to be just fine. She's with Erza." He grinned. "What could go wrong?"

"Well.."Baron pulled out Nelly's bracelet. "She forgot this in her hurry to leave."

Everyone's faces went blank, knowing exactly what it was for.

~On the outskirts of Plumes Valley…~

Nelly was groaning, lying face first on her cushioned seat. "Can we please walk there…."

Erza chuckled. "But it would be rude to refuse their gift. A ride of luxury to our next job is the least they could have done."

Nelly groaned again.

"Would you like assistance again?"

"Please don't punch me again…"

"The only reason I punched you last time was because I couldn't bear to see one of my comrades suffering in such a way." Erza sighed. "On another note, I find it very strange that our client needed to hire wizards to 'babysit'."

"Yeah… it's a little weird… what about this pet of his? The request doesn't say anything about what it is…." Nelly's face turned blue. "What if it's a monster?!"

"I highly doubt that. Once we arrive, I'm going to do a little digging. You watch the client's pet. Are we clear?"

Nelly was too sick to even argue. "Okay…"

~Some time later…~

Feeling much better, Nelly led the way to the Manor on The Hill as it was called. Erza couldn't help but feel wary however. Something was off, but she couldn't quite figure out what. When the manor gates opened, a man with who appeared to be carrying a leash approached the girls.

"Welcome to the Manor on The Hill, wizards of Fairy Tail!"

Erza bowed. "Sir Ardok."

Nelly bowed as well, however awkwardly. Was this guy a knight or something?

The man showed off a perfect smile. "There's no need for such formalities. Please, just call me Alexander."

He handed Nelly the leash, who looked at him confused. "So… where's this pet of yours?"

"Oh. Ripper is behind the manor, please follow me."

"Some name."

"My son named him when he was a boy. He's been gone for years now, and that pet of his is quite a handful for an old man."

"Is this pet a beast of some sort?"

Nelly shivered. (I really hope not...)

"I'm not quite sure, to be honest. He sure acts like one, though."

"Right. And what is our mission here?"

"I'd like for you to watch Ripper for me while I go out. I have some business in town and he has a tendency to wander off."

Erza nodded. "We will watch him, sir. Would you direct us to his location?"

Ardok smiled. "Of course. He's in the gardens behind the house. I wouldn't remove his muzzle though. He bites."

As Erza and Nelly approached the house, the man spoke one last time. "I should be back with some nice folks hoping to adopt Ripper later this afternoon, you ladies take care."

Nelly entered the room behind Erza. "So he's planning on giving his son's pet away? I don't see why he just doesn't keep it. It IS his son's pet after all. What if he comes back?"

"What our client's plans are is none of our business."

"R-Right."

Erza smiled. "Where has all of your confidence gone, Newt the Sun Dragon?"

Nelly blushed. That nickname had stuck much like Natsu's nickname, Salamander. Seems the lizard nickname theme was popular.

"So... how big do you think he is?"

There was no response. Nelly turned around. Erza was nowhere to be seen. Nelly cautiously approached the door that lead to the back gardens. Taking a deep breath, she opened the doors.

~Meanwhile, in another part of the house...~

Erza was walking down a hallway somewhere in the west side of the home, trying every doorknob, searching for something.

"I really hope I'm wrong..."

The very last door was unlocked. Erza cautiously opened the door. She had found the elderly man's office. She immediately started shuffling through all of the paperwork in the desk.

"Something is not right here. If only I knew what it was."

Erza was about to give up when she spotted a small picture on his desk. She picked it up. It seemed innocent enough: just Sir Ardok with his late wife with their arms around...

Erza was about the put the photo down when she saw it.

"That's not possible!"

Erza quickly took off down the hallway. "I have to get more answers!"

*Author's Note: Sorry it's been such a long time guys. This story is coming back from the dead as of today! (February 1, 2019)

With Much Love,

Alyaht427*


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